When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back.

It was too late for that now. The edges was clawing at the inside of their skin. Scritch scratch. The frightening crawl of flesh that reminded them of it's prescince everytime they tried to move an inch. It was maddening. Scritch scratch. A maddening ritual that imposed itself like a creeping shadow of the night.

The infernal noise didn't stop no matter how hard they attempted to mitigate it's effects. Gathering the very emotion that sucked the room dry of any atmosphere except the one dominating abyssmal fear that reigned everywhere.

Scritch scratch

There was no escape. Draining. Biting. Bleeding. Emerging. Diverging. And finally attracting itself once more. The perfect recipe for the most perfectly orchastrated disaster in history. This was the truth behind the inner circles. These were the dreams of the impossible princes and princesses. The royal court made no qualms about sacrifice, as long as it didn't involve that which is essential to their own self. An energy which makes the barriers of dream and reality obsolete. Dreams. Confusion. Butterfly.

Scritch scratch

A failure from the very start. These walls closed. Sickness unto death. As the very putrid slime of the earths gathered under the guise of philanthropy the swirling black hole gazed back upon them through blood shot eyes. It was a paradoxially thrilling, proving ecstasy in the face of death. They each held the white rose between their fingers, and waited for the mowing passion of the Reaper to overwhelm them. And want away at full speed, proving the entrance way to chaos.

Why did they do it? Why did they gather under such a vile scheme doomed to failure from the very start? Few would understand these seemingly philosophical questions. The truth, as is always the case, is disapointingly simple.

It was because THEY WERE EVIL!!

"YES!!!"

"Are you ready?"

"Always."

"The Buffalo Demon cannot catch all 69 of the Ultimate Power Medallions, or else his mighty blue beams would destroy all we worked for."

"We cannot lose all of this now."

"Right. This will be a tough battle. I know with the power of friendship we can prevail."

"HAHAHAHA!!! I am close to the 69th medallion, and not even Ki and Marget can stop me now!!!!"

"NOW! EVIL ELIMINATION!!!"

"HIROSHIMA!!!!"

"Augh! I'm dead!!"

Soooooo much for 'toughest battle yet'. Or maybe it was. Since this fight lasted a whooping five seconds, much much much much more than the usual. Looks like the A bomb and bizzare exorcism type evil elimination magic doesn't work as good aany other hour, but six o clock was a sort of curse for TV. Of course, if she had her way they'd be having satellite by now. Her parents wanted to hear nothing of it.

"Ki, this is great. Now the harmony has been restored to the universe." She hugged the fiesty little girl, who giggled. "The sky is beautiful, and the stars shiny brightly at night. The darkness is like a hole, and the stars pierce it with brilliant light. So smooth and round, the universe is. Doesn't that makes you want to..."

"...Yes, Marget-chan. But we can't.."

"Why not?" She giggled. "There's no one here, and our souls must not be imprisoned any more."

"I'm afraid..."

"We've done it many times before."

"But but....this is too sudden, especially since we've done it twice already."

"I'll hold your hand, and guide you through it. Give in to temptation."

"I can't..."

"Give in."

"I..."

"You want to."

"Y...yes..."

"Right now."

"Yes."

"Right here!"

"Yes!!"

"Oh Ki-chama, let's do it. Let's.....DANCE DISCO!"

"YES!!!!!!"

Jennifer blinked. "Dance disco? Oooookay. No more light for you." Click.

"What was that?" The zombie girl asked.

"This? Oh, it's a remote control. It opens and closes the box of electricity and pretty images. Almost like magic, I think."

She looked annoyed. Oh. Major oops, yeah? Darn. "I know what a Television is. I'm wondering about the show itself."

"That? Oh! My bad. Sorry. That's just Chikara Kachi."

"Those two..."

"Yeah, Ki and Marget. They're cousins, or so the dub says, but I'm not buying it." Ah well, the black hole was madenning. A closed TV is like staring into the depths of madness itself. Eeeee. Back to any program, even if it is Chikara Kachi.

"They know their cousins? Wow, back in my time there were so many cousins we couldn't keep track. Every festival there were at least three new faces who appeared and started all being friendly and nice and I was all 'who are you?' and.....Ah...hmm..." Her sight changed to more quizically confused. "Why are there rubber things that look like chickens shooting lazer from their eyes?"

"Because..." she fiddled with the remote. Throwing it in the air and catching it. "This show sucks a lot? I only watch it cause it's the talk of the school."

"Social acceptability. Hmmm. Some things never change." The zombie thingy called Lei Lei smiled.

Social acceptability? Woah, what a huge word to describe being peer pressued to conform. Though right, if what she heard was right then they were gone for about two hundred years from the earth, and in some place...er..China, was it? Wow, that must be some huge culture shock for her. Some things never changed. Weeell, they did have TVs and electricity and other stuff right now, no? How could she say nothing's changed? She knew better, considering she'd lived through both.

Alright, OK. So there were a lot of confusion going on which just grew more and more until it looks like it'll pop and be filled with colorful confetti. Suddenly she felt like waking up. But that wasn't all. When everything was blurring away, as it usually did for waking up, there was an explosion of light and she had troubles breathing. Yeah, everyone will have troubles breathing if they had a giant blue thingy and her sister on their stomach, wouldn't they?

"Do you think this has more to do than simple coincidence? Both twins, at sixteen, connected through dreams.."

"Well, I don't know who I'd be then." Jennifer said, frowning. "I could never come up with that smart deduction. Where is your Lyd...er..Lin Lin anyway?" She knew Lydia was meeting some friends, but no idea where the other snuck over to.

"I...don't know."

This was great.

Feeling the sun, walking down the streets were all good to be experienced once more. It had been too long before she could do this. It was just a shame her sister looked too conspicuous to be able to do it.

There was a certain need to get used to it. The sun was extremely hot. She couldn't float anymore, and walking on the solid earth for so much time needed lot's of practice. Occasionally she would float for a while when no one was around.

She looked to the left. Then to the right. There was nobody around, good. She clenched her hands together and with a deep breath, skipped a few beats down the trodden path. Giggle. This was humiliating, even shameful, but it was good to experience once more.

The world certainly did change. Time does not wait. Changes were so evident there were hardly anything recognizable, save for the kingdom of humanity itself. Even there some differences were noted. Perhaps..she was used because she had been channeled to this place before. To actually experience it first hand spoke volumes.

Everyone was walking. Emerging from the many tall buildings and streets in a state of lethargy. It was good to see people again. Yet one thing that struck out was the way people dressed and talked. They all sounded the same. Young and old, spoke in the same manner and tone and had resembling dresses. How was one to distinguish the classes? It was certainly a difference.

She looked inside one of those giant silver bricked buildings and caught a shock. Behind the glass reflecting herself, there was a beautiful white dress that looked like a ceremonial grab. A wedding dress, it was advertised as. What struck her most was the fact the seller inside was completely different from what she was used to. Lin Lin found the elegant, high class style of the seller to be a far cry from the usual merchants.

Check the other buildings, they were all shops too.  And they all stayed iscolated inside the building. They did not come to you. Actually, you went to them.

She wondered about the Middle Kingdom itself. What happened to it in all the years that passed? Had it changed and dropped the classes to? It was evident that The Way was still being practiced, as Jen Ya the priestess taught her, but the teaching seemed severily lacking. Possibly a lot of texts destroyed even. It was discouraging for the imagination.

Fortunately, the first store that had truly caught her attention on the streets made out of concrete happened to sell herbs and other useful accesories. Some things probably still stay the same in the midst of change.

"You're doing WHAT?!?!"

"Way to not draw attention to yourself. Should I buy you a red siren to put on your head for your birthday?"

Lydia sighed, and relaxed further inside the bench. Alright, to make a long story short: whatever made her memory go on the fritz certainly screwed up big time. Some recollection of the attack was apparent, and Jennifer herself made no qualms about hiding it. So she swallowed her disbeleif and confonted him about it.

Bingo. The moment she mentioned police he started getting all panicy, as if he truly was hiding something. Nevermind the fact she had absolutely no proof about what happened and the case would be dismissed before it even started. Wow, these people were ridiculously out of it, huh?

Was she becoming one of them though? It wasn't bad enough that whatever cryptic blabbering she managed to get out of him, the fact was she managed to crack his code so easily it was frightening. Really now, 'the witch dragon who steals the soul of children'? She had heard about the supposed cryptic language secret societies used, it was the star attraction of one of those books (what was it called again? Nevermind), but that was so pathetic anyone could understand it. Like...huge duh.

So yeah, OK, keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right? A little splice of Machiavellian (or Sun Tzu, to keep in accord with the recent events) life was just what the doctor recommended to cure all dark ailments. How much did he know? And his little witch dragon girl, what was she up to as well? Did they have any clue about those creature things hiding in their house? Most important, did they have any clue as to who those to were? She could subtly get all those questions answered, make sure he doesn't try any other attacks, and enjoy a burger all at the same time.

For she was Lydia, action hero!

"No, just get me one of those 'I'm With Stupid' T Shirts." He grumbled. "Cause I'm looking at the biggest idiot around right now."

"Oh wise one, tell me the true way."

Was she becoming one of those loonies too? It's true she saw some really strange things these past few days. Climactically topping it all with a whooping not one, but two, paranormal types to appear in her room at night. It was quite a shock in the morning, that was. And a Kuang Shi on top of that. Those were rare zombie types, right?

If she was gonna be dragged in this madness, at least it was original.

Still, she couldn't help herself slipping into the land of loonies and quacks. Was it everyone who was into this shit? She shuddered away the image of her and Jimmy in hippie clothes, supplacating the Great Goddess while Jennifer attempted to contact an Atlantean spirit to bless the holy crystal they were intending to send happy rays unto, in the meantime Mom and Dad tested their latest device to call the Plutonian aliens.

Oh God, it was enough to make one whine.

"Fucking hell....ANYTHING. Even sitting in your backyard sacrificing chickens and calling yourself Madamme Shubobu while dancing under the moon in tiger skin thongs and spitting in a fire is a better idea."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Jimmy grimaced. "Shut. Up."

"Y'know.." She took the last bite of her burger. The boy over there just continued drinking whatever the hell soft drink that was. "I liked you better when you were a flaming hypocrite."

"Well life's a bitch."

"No it isn't." Chew chew chew, don't forget this is still a restaurant. Stupid tough cow meat. "You are."

"Oooh, excuse me while I laugh." Baaad idea, little boy. Laughing, even mock laughing, while drinking will....

*COUGH HACK COUGH*

....there we go.

She couldn't help but laugh herself. How ridiculous! "Yeah, really. Tell me how you became a spy? I've never seen anyone draw that much attention to himself!"

"What's it to you?"

"Small talk. That didn't work." She leaned forward."So let's get down to buisness."

"I'm finished."

"No you're not."

"Yes. I am." Pathetic little stare of his. Instead of looking evil or threatening it gave her a strange urge to kick the hell out of him. "And I'll just stay this. Unless you want to appear like even more an idiot than you already are, you'll stay away from the Goths."

Like she was gonna listen anyway.

They had incense, herbs, paintings and a lot of  Taoist and Confucius books translated into English. There was even one on Kwan Yin. The smiling boddisattva's image greeted her into the store, whispering to her that everything she wanted would be here.

More people in there, including those dressed in more Oriental grab. Probably the sellers themselves, she deduced. Lin Lin scanned the area. It looked like a temple, almost. With the intricate red and gold designs filling the walls, the statues on top, and even a carp aquarium in the entrance way.

She browsed around. It was a releif to be able to walk in a market place without having anyone push things in your face. There were not that many acessories, even though they were very varied. The fact was, from what she had seen the town was small, and building something resembling a market-place was not a good idea.

Still, it was sufficient for what she needed. Just a minor ceremony of gratitude and supplication. All that was needed were incense, and some images. And she found both. There were again people, some reading through the Tao Te Ching's translation (she wondered how it compared to the original beautiful character poetry) and others asking about what each painting meant. She smiled.

Music also came out from the ceiling's themselves. Unfortunate that is ruined her atmosphere. She expected to hear the beautiful instruments and etheral vocals, but what came out were crude words and dreadful ear-destroying din.

It broke her mind like a glass window. Nevermind. All that was needed now was the statue right now. Usually it was better for an authentic one at the temples, but now there was really no other alternatives.

Lin Lin walked up to the man behind the counter. He did not look that much older than she did herself, and the face was more like the ones she was used to see in people. He smiled at her when she gave her order, commenting about how it was unusual for people to come into the store and be so specific about things. Chit-chat? She smiled back, saying she had been trained enough to know what she wanted.

And it continued from then on.

That was close. Really close.

Oh ouch, it would've been really bad if anything had happened. But that was so close that it was just one small semi-step away from the bad thing that could happen if anything bad had happened. Being mindful of her own stream of consciousness, Lei Lei realized she really really needed sleep.

Which did bring up the interesting question of what would happen now that they slept. Would they disapear? Or not anymore? Would it just be normal sleep for once? Wow, thinking about these things, staying with Sister and Lady Sierra did help a lot! Besides, there was just so many interesting things to learn there was no time for sleep! The Television that they had was really informative and taught her a lot about American culture, like how it was illegal for anyone not beautiful enough to be on the beach, and how dinner tables are conference rooms to resolve family troubles now (weird, she remembered the dinner tables being the cause of most of her friend's troubles with their family.)

But now her head spun really really fast as Jennifer tackled her away from the couch. Huh? She stuffed her inside the room, which fortunately was a few steps away from the living room, it'd probably be too much for both her and Jennifer to do this rolling thing too often (Where was Sister anyway?).

Lei Lei peacked outside to see why all the fuss. It was Jennifer's father. Oh! Yes, really really close and...yes. Exactly. He sat in the chair adjascent to the couch, and started reading his newspaper a little bit.

Hooboy, looks like she'd be stuck here for quite a while, huh? Jennifer continued watching TV, trying to be as unconspicuous as possible. Though the way she kept glancing at him every time she could pry herself away from the moving images must have made him at least raise an eyebrow.

He did leave. Yay! That didn't last too long. A good phone call dragged him out the door to whoever knows where. Jennifer came back in and dragged Lei Lei back to the couch. Ow ow ow ow ow ow.

Not too bad, the carpeting made for bad friction, though. She sat on the couch, except with Jennifer's attempts at positioning her she ended up lying on it, and taking the whole place.

"There's no way I'm doing all that again." Jennifer said.

But then where would she?

No! Nononononoononononononononoonnoonononononnonono!!!!! She was actually going for the chair!!

Quick Lei Lei, react! She used all her power to summon a large iron ball to push away the chair from underneath Jennifer, causing her to fall.

Good save.

"I didn't mean to hurt you on purpose!" Jennifer frowned.

"What? Oh...it wasn't that. But did you know you were about to sit in your father's chair!!! It was good I saved you in time, or that would have been a reaaaal bad thrashing you would have recieved!"

"What...are you talking about?"

Oh! Ooops.....

Well...it was....dark.

Really dark.

Not much else to be said, truth be known. Everything that could be seen was udner the many candles in the room, and that wasn't saying much.

Five hooded figures approached her, chanting in a real low Gregorian type voice which she obviously didn't understand. The rest just continued their pretty little singing in the background. Though...with their voice, a hit album they shall not be making anytime soon.

So these were the Goths, huh?

"Who dares desecrate this unholy ground?"

"Er...well...I  had an appointment here. So..."

Actually, it was pretty easy to find out. Everyone knows they were using the little abandoned church-like structure at the end of the building was their little base, and that there were at least a dozen of them at school. It didn't take much to be able to get in, just a request really.

She felt ridiculous, as well she should be. This wasn't something she'd do...well....ever. But the workings inside a group was something she needed for herself. Seen to be believed. Yeah, OK, there was a curious factor in it, she was at least that honest with herself, but nothing beyond the curious factor.

"Ah yes...you are the new initiate."

"I guess."

Another gruff voice called. "Are you ready to make the pledge?"

Lydia shrugged. "Sure."

"Sure?! Do or do not, there is no sure!" What? "You must consume yourself...."

The lights opened, revealing all the hooded figures and people who looked like cheap goths.

"...to EVIL!!!"

"To evil?" As if she really needed to ask.

The first goth said, "We are evil!"

To which everyone replied. "YES!!"

He said again, "We kick small puppies!"

The one behind him continued their chant. "And like to scare people!"

The third, feminine, voice said, "And walk in the dark!"

"And spit bubblegum on the floor!" Came number four's voice.

Heeere comes goth number five's comment, "AND SACRIFICE BABIES!!!!"

Silence.

"No actually, no we don't."

"Damnit..."

"Riiiiiiight." Lydia knew this was gonna be long and painful. "So then, what do you do? Worship Cthulu and stuff?"

"CTHULU'S A WIMP!!!!!" The first one snapped. "We worship a far greater evil, the one which drives the world with his evilness which is evil...we worship......ASTROGOTH!!!!"

Who? Must be one of those whacked out diety demon things that only a select few know it's nature. Or something like that, whatever.

"In order for the initiation to commence, you must be introduced to us!" The first one came up, and said, "I am Frater Pass Not. The leader of evil!! The commander of evil..." #2 came up, "...is Nightshade!"

The only female she could see in the group came up. "This is Lady Raven de Kali, and this is Mordred, and the final is Hecate's Tear!!"

"Why can't I be Marduk's Tear?" #5 asked.

"No baby sacrificing!!!!"

Ummm..........okay.

Out from the book lurked a more angrier, and honestly more goth looking, girl. She wore all black, from head to toe, except for the unbeleivable pale skin (which, yeah, had cosmetic help right there) and wore the Tina the Troubled Teen type expressions.

"Black Rose!!" Pass-not called, apparently to her, though she didn't respond. "Oh evil one whose name is Black Rose, I summon you to the front of the court!"

No reply.

He went and whispered. "Demitra, c'mon, do this."

"N.O."

"Ahem." Ignoring her, more accurately completely and utterly humiliated, he turned back to her. "Let the initiation begin!!"

"YES!!!"

Lydia nodded. "So like, I have to choose another name for the things going on here, right?"

"YES!!!"

"Okay, how about-"

"You shall be known as...."

"-how about Death's Mistress or Soul Reaper?"

"....NYARLATHOTEP'S BRIDE!!!!!!!"

.............

"Does it not reflect your soul of EVIL!!"

"No. Actually...it makes me sound like a drunken whore."

"YES! Evil!!!!"

"Oh...."

As if that wasn't bad enough, the head leader decided to add another bit of idiocy in this already whacked out process.

"Now...you shall wear the uniform of Nyarlathotep's Bride!!!"

..........

Where was the rest of it?
 

"Now the ceremony shall begin!! EVIL!!!!"

EVIL!!!


They all joined his screamings. It was deafening. And real annoyingly emarassing. She felt a shiver up her spine, what would her reputation be after this? The insult being she didn't even have a reputation.....yet.

EVIL!!!!!


Everywhere the goths started baping themselves and screaming the same mantra on top of their lungs. Ooooookay, this was getting to be a little bit annoying. It made her seriously re consider this whole thing.

It was just temporary, just for the time being, just temporary. Yes, keep saying that over and over and over.

EVIL!!!!!

That Demitra girl pulled her by the arm. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Whose to say this was any better? "But the ceremony's about to begin..."

"Hun." Her accent was faked. "This is the ceremony."

EVIL!!!!!!!!!!!

"Let's...let's get going then!"

Lydia and Lydia number two were really late here.

Okay, probably no need to do any of the panicing of last time. At least this time if anything did happen Lin Lin could probably find out. Probably. At the very least it was a reassurance that they had...umm....people who aren't really people, in high places.

Lei Lei continued to sit besides the TV. Oh yeah, she couldn't really move without the priestess type to control her, huh? She wondered if she could try doing it. Like, attempt to make some mystical powers move the undead. Though it really depended on wether she actually wanted to move, and it didn't seem she did.

"Whose that?" She said.

"Buffy, she slays vampires."

"Really? Huh, that's a vampire?" Lei Lei didn't seem really impressed. "It looks more like a monkey person. And....heeey, that's not the right way to slay vampires..."

"Really?"

"They don't disapear that quickly. She does fine with those normal vampire newbies who don't really know anything...but wonder how she'd fare against Demitri or those three sisters who aren't really sisters of that," she shuddered "Lenarat."

"I think...I remember those. Yeah! I remember that scary scary Lenarat...fairy it was called, right?"

"Hu..oh that's right." She smiled.

"So you really do slay vampires?"

"Yeah."

"Aw how cool!" She beamed. "Wait till Lydia heard that. I can't believe I know someone who does these things." And what's better she knew about that beforehand from dreams too, she was like...Mystic Jen!

She frowned. "Not exactly the best of paths, though..."

"Do you think there's any vampires lurking around here?"

"Probably, the demon realm does a lot of gateways for the vampires to come through. And if there was one in Lady Sierra's palace..."

"Oh wow! Can we go do some patroling one night?"

"Patroling? Huh...though...well..."

"Weeeeeell." She closed her eyes. Watching TV was one thing, but to do it herself was another altogether. "Won't we be defending all the innocents if we go fight the vampires?"

"What about those things that throw flames?" She pointed to the TV. "All the students have one of those under their robes...no?"

"Oh, that....well no. They don't exactly. Not in this town anyway." Though the farmers did have one of those nasty rifles, she didn't think it would work against the vampires. It was too plain, not mystical enough.

"When Sister comes back we could search around, maybe. It all depends on wether she agrees or not though."

That was too cool.

"So what made you decide that motely crew?"

She insisted on being with Lydia on the way home. Er...the question being, why? Were they going to start stalking her everywhere now?

"Is it alright to say idle curiosity?"

She stopped. "Off the record, yes. Though talking officially you won't go to far unless you reply with 'FOR THE SERVICE OF EVIL!!!!'"

"What a..."

"....bunch of fucked up idiots."

"I was more aiming for eccentric, though that sounds much better, yeah."

"And those outfits....ugh. You know they're getting off on it. There's only Lady Raven de Kali over there that's a female, and she seems in a world of her own."

Lydia glared at her Nyarlathotep's Bride clothes (loosely speaking, using the word clothes). "Yeah."

"Can't a girl worship Satan in all his unholy black glory in peace these days?"

"Well actually I don't believ.."

"It was a joke. A joke!"

"Oh.."

"Just a little orgy dedicated to Our Lady Lilith is enough."

Silence.

"I was joking again."

"Sorry..."

What was up anyway? It was certainly overwhelming to try to talk to Demitra, nevermind the fact she looked like she'd bite you any second now. That goth look was soooo....intimidating, to say the least.

She had her hair tied up in the most unusual manner. At least not something you'd say everyday. It looked like something from those old Greek paintings, with the black hair tied completely to the top, no matter how long it is. Where was she from anyway? It was hard to determine, when she drops the fake American accent it sounded more British...except not really. Definately not like how those from Jennifer's favorite shows sound like. She'd seen her in school a couple of times, but far away from sight than anything else.

"I didn't know your twin looked exactly like you."

Lin Lin gal was entering the house at the same time. What perfect timing. "Oh no, that's just a ....house guest. A cousin, yeah."

Demitra left, without even saying anything else. Wow, how..rude, but a releif in the same time. As long as she doesn't scream the evil mantra to the priestess. What'd she do, try to exorcise her? It wouldn't be too unbeleivable.

"How ya liking earth so far?" She said. Only she and Jennifer can see a ghost and her zombie slave and be so non chalant about it. She prided in that extreme apathy.

She just smiled.